Senator Alfond Praises Endorsement of Education Bill

Education Committee Unanimous in its Support of bill
to Improve Student Outcomes

Augusta- Senator Justin Alfond (D-Cumberland County) today applauded the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee for its unanimous vote to pass LD 1422, “An Act to Prepare Maine People for the Future Economy.” The bill sets out a timeline requiring schools to use clearly defined standards to ensure that Maine students meet and exceed proficiency in their classwork before moving to the next grade level.

“I am thrilled that my resolve has become the foundation of today’s unanimous vote,” Senator Alfond said. “Business leaders and educational allies have been working since 1994 to build a system where students, teachers and parents all clearly know what the standards are. This is a great day for education in Maine.”

“This bill will turn our schools into true centers of student learning,” Alfond added. “Maine students by 2017 will have to demonstrate proficiency against clearly stated standards in a variety of ways including projects, portfolios and standardized tests.”

Senator Alfond was a co-sponsor of the original version of LD 1422, which was amended to reflect the results of a study performed over the last few months. The study was performed in accordance with Senator Alfond’s earlier bill LD 949, “An Act To Update Maine’s High School Graduation Requirements.”

Former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education Duke Albanese, now a Senior Policy Advisor for the Great School Partnership, was also pleased with the result. “Senator Alfond helped lead the bi-partisan support of this legislation,” Albanese stated. “Standard Based Education will move Maine schools in the right direction.”

Alfond felt that “today’s vote clearly shows that the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee understand the urgency of acting. Building a K-12 system where students can graduate prepared to move into a certificate program, higher education or career is critical to our future workforce.”